Get Ready for a Safe Winter at the Wyoming Snow & Avalanche Workshop

• Two-day event highlights winter backcountry safety, and provides a free lunch, beer, vendors, and a huge raffle supporting TCSAR volunteers

Jackson, Wyo. — The 12th Annual Wyoming Snow & Avalanche Workshop is officially three weeks away. The two-day event focusing on backcountry safety begins with Pro Day at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, November 13, at the Center for the Arts. Rec Day, focused on all levels of backcountry users, begins at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 14, also at the Center.

Register ASAP to take full advantage of all six Rec Day Lunch ‘n Learn station options (they are filling fast!). And of course, spread the word to your favorite backcountry partners so that you feel safe with them, they feel safe with you, and you’ve got more juicy skills, topics, and questions to chat through on the skin track this winter.

Attending WYSAW is the best way to gather with folks from all corners of our awesome community before the winter starts to begin honing your backcountry safety systems.  At both Pro Day (Friday, Nov 13) and Rec Day (Saturday, Nov 14), you’ll learn lessons from leading experts in the field of snow and avalanche safety and have the chance to win some great raffle prizes in support of TCSAR volunteers. 

A sneak peek of some presenters and topics you don’t want to miss…

• Stepping Out with a Persistent Weak Layer: A Panel (Pro Day)

• Wind Slabs vs Storm Slabs w/ Nata De Leeuw (Rec Day)

• A Deep Dive Into Fracture Propagation + Mechanics w/ Dave Hamre (Rec Day Lunch ‘n Learn station) 

• SAR Response Assessment and Decision Making in Avalanche Terrain w/ Jen Reddy (Pro Day)

• Creating Inclusive Communication and Group Consensus w/ Julz Holder (Rec Day)

• Navigating The Terrain Between My Ears w/ Zahan Billimoria (Rec Day)

• Using the BTAC Big Sheet to Make Decisions w/ Eeva Latosuo and Alex Drinkard (Rec Day Lunch ‘n Learn station)

Click here to register and see the full list of phenomenal speakers on the WYSAW docket. We can't wait to see you at some or all of our programming!

WYSAW is made possible by these generous sponsors:

Coming Soon: Season 10 of The Fine Line Podcast

Jackson, Wyo. — The Fine Line podcast is returning for its 10th season, with the first of six episodes set for release on October 1.

Produced by the Teton County Search & Rescue Foundation as part of the Backcountry Zero initiative, The Fine Line uses storytelling to help build awareness for backcountry safety while shedding light on the dedication of first responders. 

Subscribe Wherever You Get Your Podcasts, and Listen to the Season 10 Trailer

Each episode explores the perspectives of those who have experienced a backcountry emergency, as well as the first responders who came to their aid. The interaction between rescuer and rescuee is often the first time they’ve been able to debrief an incident together, revealing surprising insights that can help the audience learn key lessons about best practices in the backcountry.

“There is something special about rescuers and rescuees coming together to discuss a backcountry emergency,” said The Fine Line host and producer Matt Hansen. “These personal stories really help the rest of us understand the nuance of an emergency, and can lead to more empathy for the survivors and awareness to what we can do to prevent such accidents in the future.”

Patrick Cunningham discusses a mountain bike crash on Teton Pass with TCSAR volunteers Anthony Stevens and Dr. AJ Wheeler.

The Fine Line’s original host Rebecca Huntington reconnects with Jesse Stover over the podcast’s first episode, released in July 2016.

Left to right: Hunter Ianozzi with Jenny Lake Rangers Zack Little and Mik Shain. In September 2025, Little and Shain were part of the team that pulled off a complicated rescue of Ianozzi on the Grand Teton.

Season 10 of The Fine Line explores the devastating consequences of an avalanche, a dramatic rescue in a very tight spot on the Grand Teton, downhill mountain biking on Teton Pass, a look back at how The Fine Line got started, a life-saving rescue in the Wind River Range, and how the backcountry can heal us even after it threatens to take everything away.

The Fine Line is proud to feature the work of local artists, musicians, editors, and writers to give the podcast an authentic connection to the Jackson Hole community.

Sponsors for this special 10th anniversary include Roadhouse Brewing Co., Rocky Talkie, and Stio.

The Fine Line streams everywhere podcasts are available, and is broadcast at 2 p.m. every Thursday on KHOL 89.1 FM. Learn more at BackcountryZero.com.

TCSAR Releases 2026 Midyear Rescue Report

Jackson, Wyo. — This past winter, Teton County Search & Rescue responded to fewer backcountry emergencies than the previous three winters, but also confronted several challenging rescue scenarios that demonstrated the volunteers’ commitment to training, professionalism and teamwork.

TCSAR volunteers conduct a short-haul training session. Photo by Dirk Collins

These details and more are included in TCSAR’s recently released 2026 Midyear Review & Rescue Report, a 32-page booklet published twice each year documenting the team’s rescues, backcountry safety programming, and community outreach.

From December 1, 2025, to May 31, 2026, TCSAR received 45 calls for service. Over the same time period last year the team had 62 calls. Snowmobilers made the most rescue calls this winter with 19. Four of these snowmobile accidents tragically ended with fatalities.

Conversely, there were relatively few ski– and snowboard-related rescues. Three calls came from the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort backcountry, zero from the Grand Targhee backcountry, and eight on Teton Pass, which included one fatality. Local rescuers received zero ski-related calls for the entire winter in Grand Teton National Park. The one call that came from the park was for an injured climber on the Middle Teton, a rescue handled by the Jenny Lake Rangers with an assist from the TCSAR’s aviation team.

“These past six months have been a busy and productive time for our team,” Anthony Stevens, TCSAR Chief Advisor and volunteer since 2015, writes in the report’s opening letter. “We have continued to strengthen our operational readiness through training, collaboration, and experience in the field. Whether responding to emergencies, supporting partner agencies, or assisting members of our community during difficult moments, our personnel have consistently demonstrated the values that define this organization: commitment, teamwork, and service above self.”

The report also announces a new logo for Backcountry Zero, the preventative search and rescue programming from the TCSAR Foundation. Backcountry Zero was launched in 2015 to help the local community prioritize backcountry safety and preparedness. The new logo makes it more recognizable as a key initiative of TCSAR. Through accessible and effective education and outreach, the Backcountry Zero program strives to create a positive shift in backcountry culture while reducing SAR-related incidents.

Rescue Reports can be picked up at participating businesses all over Jackson Hole, and downloaded for free at TetonCountySAR.org/rescue-reports.

Media Contact: Matt Hansen, TCSAR Foundation Communications Director: matt@tetoncountysar.org, (970) 846-7766